Stephen Keshi
Stephen Okechukwu Keshi (23 January 1962 – 7 June 2016) was a Nigerian football defender. He was also a football manager of the Nigeria national team. He was one of only two people, along with Egypt's Mahmoud El-Gohary, to have won the Africa Cup of Nations as both a player and a coach. Playing career icon This section requires expansion. (June 2016) After a playing career mostly with Belgian clubs, Keshi went to the United States to be educated in coaching. Coaching career In 1996 he was joined by Augustine Eguavoen, who once coached the Nigerian national team. They played together in California as the backbone of the defence for the short-lived Sacramento Scorpions. Keshi has been a part of the coaching staff for the Nigerian national team, most notably as head coach for the Junior Eagles at the 2001 African Youth Championship which also served as qualification for the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, without success. Between 2004 and 2006 Keshi coached the Togo national football team, surprisingly bringing them to their first World Cup tournament, Germany 2006. Having secured Togo's unlikely qualification, he was promptly replaced by German coach Otto Pfister prior to the World Cup finals, after Togo showed a dismal performance and failed to advance to the knock-out stage in 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. However, Pfister did not last beyond a controversial World Cup campaign that nearly resulted in a player's strike over pay and Togo remained without a manager until February 2007 when they re-engaged Keshi in time for a friendly against Cameroon. He worked as manager of the Mali national football team, after being appointed in April 2008 on a two-year deal.3 Keshi was sacked in January 2010, after Mali's early exit in the group stages of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.4 Nigerian national team Keshi became coach of the Nigerian National Team in 2011.56 He led Nigeria to qualification for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, which they went on to win, defeating Burkina Faso 1–0 in the final.7 The following day Keshi handed in his resignation,8 only to reverse his decision the day after.9 Keshi led Nigeria to the 2013 Confederations Cup, defeated Tahiti 6–1, and lost 1–2 to Uruguay in the second game, and also lost 0–3 to World Cup winners, Spain in their final group game. On 16 November 2013, Keshi's Nigeria secured qualification to the 2014 World Cup by beating Ethiopia 4–1 on aggregate in a play-off.10 Keshi set a record in African football by being the first African coach to successfully qualify two African nations (Nigeria and Togo) to the World Cup Finals. He also helped Nigeria become the first country to achieve an African Cup of Nations trophy and World Cup qualification, both in 2013. Nigeria progressed to the knockout stage of 2014 World Cup. They started the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Iran, followed by a controversial 1-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. They lost the final group stage match 2-3 against Argentina, but progressed to the knockout stage, courtesy of a 3-1 win by Bosnia and Herzegovina over Iran. The Super Eagles lost to France in the first knock-out round. After the match, Keshi announced his resignation as Super Eagles coach11 but later reversed the decision after the Nigerian Football Federation renewed his contract.12 His team failed to win a single game in the Morocco 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifying series and he announced he would move to another job if pressure continues to mount because of certain people, whom he refused to name, were trying to "sabotage" him. However, he stated that he will continue to coach the Super Eagles because he loves the team and he loves his country. In July 2015, following Nigeria's exit from the World Cup, Keshi's contract with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) expired and was not renewed.13 A statement by the NFF Executive Committee said the decision was made, having thoroughly reviewed the reports/findings of the NFF Disciplinary Committee and NFF Technical and Development Committee, as well as having reviewed the actions and inaction of Stephen Keshi, in the performance of his duties as Super Eagles' Head Coach, which NFF found to lack the required commitment to achieve the Federation's objectives as set out in the Coach's employment contract. Personal life Keshi was married to his wife Kate (née Aburime) for 30 years. She died on 10 December 2015, after battling cancer for three years. They had four children.14 Keshi had a heart attack and died en route to hospital on 7 June 2016 in Benin City, aged 54.15 Honours Player Club New Nigeria Bank FC West African Club Championship (2): 1983, 1984 Stade d'Abidjan Coupe Houphoet Boigny (2): 1985, 1986 Africa Sports Côte d'Ivoire Premier Division (1): 1986 Côte d'Ivoire Coupe (1): 1986 Anderlecht Belgian Cup (2): 1988, 1989 Jupiler League (1): 1991 International Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations (1): 1994 Manager International Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations (1): 2013 Confedrations of African Football – African Coach of the Year 201316 References 1.Jump up ^ "FIFA Player Statistics: Stephen KESHI". FIFA.com. Retrieved 9 June 2016. "Date Of Birth 23 Jan 1962" 2.Jump up ^ "14 things you didn’t know about Stephen Keshi". Punch. 8 June 2016. Archived from the original on 9 June 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016. "He was born on January 23, 1962." 3.Jump up ^ "Keshi opts for Mali national team". BBC. 2 April 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2008. 4.Jump up ^ "Stephen Keshi sacked as Mali boss". BBC. 28 January 2010. Retrieved 2 November 2011. 5.Jump up ^ "NFF to Announce Keshi as Eagles Coach". allafrica.com. 2 November 2011. Retrieved 2 November 2011. 6.Jump up ^ "Stephen Keshi confident of Super Eagles revival". BBC Sport. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2013. 7.Jump up ^ "Nigeria v Burkina Faso – as it happened". Guardian UK. 10 February 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2013. 8.Jump up ^ "Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi hands in resignation one day after winning African title". Goal.com. 9 February 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2013. 9.Jump up ^ "Nigeria's Stephen Keshi reverses resignation and opts to stay on". Guardian UK. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2013. 10.Jump up ^ "World Cup 2014: Nigeria beat Ethiopia to book berth in Brazil". BBC. 16 November 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013. 11.Jump up ^ "Breaking News! Keshi Resigns, Yobo retires from Super Eagles:". NNP. 30 June 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014. 12.Jump up ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (2014-08-22). "Keshi 'moves on' from talks to return as Nigeria coach.". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2015-07-21. 13.Jump up ^ "Stephen Keshi: Nigeria did not renew my contract". BBC Sport. 2015-07-02. Retrieved 2015-07-21. 14.Jump up ^ Keshi Buries Wife January 15 In Benin 15.Jump up ^ "Stephen Keshi: brawler, talker and most successful black African coach of all time". The Guardian. 8 June 2016. Archived from the original on 9 June 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016. "The former Nigeria and Togo manager, who died on Tuesday evening aged just 54... ... Keshi, who died on Tuesday evening June 2016 aged just 54 he was born 1962..." 16.Jump up ^ "Keshi is Coach of the Year - Football News - CAF". Cafonline.com. Retrieved 2014-05-17. External links Stephen Keshi at National-Football-Teams.com Category:1962 births Category:2016 deaths Category:Nigerian footballers Category:Nigerian football managers Category:Nigeria international footballers Category:Nigerian expatriate footballers Category:K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen players Category:R.S.C. 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White Daring Molenbeek players Category:Africa Sports d'Abidjan players Category:Expatriate footballers in Ivory Coast Category:Nigerian expatriates in Malaysia Category:Nigerian expatriates in Ivory Coast Category:Nigeria national football team managers Category:2013 FIFA Confederations Cup managers Category:2014 FIFA World Cup managers Category:2006 Africa Cup of Nations managers Category:2010 Africa Cup of Nations managers Category:2013 Africa Cup of Nations managers